Rose plant -- Deljacq variety

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea rose plant is provided which abundantly forms distinctive attractive double flowers which are Vermillion Hollandais on the inside and Rouge de Carthame on the outside. Such flowers are formed in abundance, are long lasting and comprise petals which detach cleanly. The plant exhibits an upright to bushy growth habit, forms vigorous vegetation, and is well suited for greenhouse forcing for cut flower production. Additionally, the plant is not particularly susceptible to diseases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of Hybrid Tea rose plant was created by artificialpollination wherein two parents were crossed which previously had beenstudied in the hope that they would contribute the desiredcharacteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) of the newvariety results from the crossing of the Tropicana variety (U.S. PlantPat. No. 1,969) with an unnamed variety formed by the crossing of theRome Glory variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 304) with the Impeccable variety(not patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e., the pollenparent) was an unnamed variety formed by the crossing of the Spartanvariety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,357) with the Baccara variety (U.S. PlantPat. No. 1,367).

The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows: ##EQU1##

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and 387plantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically differentfrom each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of asingle plant of the new variety.

It was found through careful study that the new variety of the presentinvention can be characterized by the following combination ofcharacteristics:

(a) from a physical point of view it forms bronze green mature wood,assumes an upright to bushy growth habit, and forms attractive doubleflowers with consistent petals which are Vermillion Hollandais on theinside and Rouge de Carthame on the outside, and

(b) from the biological point of view it forms vigorous vegetation,produces flowers in abundance, exhibits the ability readily to beforced, is not particularly susceptible to diseases, and forms longlasting flowers comprising petals which detach cleanly.

The new variety well meets the needs of the horticultural industry andis particularly well suited for the production of long-lasting cutflowers.

The new variety has been found to undergo asexual propagation and can bereadily reproduced by conventional routes such as budding (i.e., eyegrafting), the use of cuttings, and micropropropagation in artificialmedia. Asexual propagation by the above-mentioned methods as performedin France has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new varietyare strictly transmissible from one generation to another and appear tobe firmly fixed.

The new variety has been named the Deljacq variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in a color illustration of this charactertypical specimens of the plant parts of the new variety. The rose plantsof the new variety were grown under glass at Hyeres, France.

FIG. 1 illustrates a specimen of a young shoot;

FIG. 2 illustrates a specimen of a floral bud at the opening of thesepals;

FIG. 3 illustrates a specimen of a floral bud at the opening of thepetals;

FIG. 4 illustrates a specimen of a flower in the course of opening;

FIG. 5 illustrates a specimen of an open flower -- plan view -- obverse;

FIG. 6 illustrates a specimen of an open flower -- plan view -- reverse;

FIG. 7 illustrates a specimen of a fully open flower -- plan view --obverse;

FIG. 8 illustrates a specimen of a fully open flower -- plan view --reverse;

FIG. 9 illustrates a specimen of a floral receptacle showing thearrangement of the stamens and pistils;

FIG. 10 illustrates a specimen of a floral receptacle showing thearrangement of the pistils (sepals and stamens removed);

FIG. 11 illustrates a specimen of a flowering stem;

FIG. 12 illustrates a specimen of a main branch;

FIG. 13 illustrates a specimen of a leaf with three leaflets -- planview -- upper surface;

FIG. 14 illustrates a specimen of a leaf with five leaflets -- plan view-- upper surface;

FIG. 15 illustrates a specimen of a leaf with seven leaflets -- planview -- upper surface; and

FIG. 16 illustrates a specimen of a leaf with seven leaflets -- planview -- under surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors is that of The RoyalHorticultural Society (R.H.S. Colour Chart). The description is based onthe observation of plants grown under glass at Hyeres, France. Thecoloration in common terms sometimes also is provided.

Class: Hybrid Tea

Plant:

Height.--Plants which were pruned to a height of 85 cm. produce floralstems having a length of approximately 40 to 60 cm.

Habit.--Upright to bushy.

Branches:

Color.--Young shoots: when approximately 20 cm. long exhibit a weakanthocyanin coloration having a bronze hue. Such coloration commonlyapproximates that of Greyed-Purple Group 183B with some brown-greencoloration. Floral stems: Yellow-Green Group 146A shaded with bronzecoloration. Mature wood: bronze green, Green Group 137B and 137C.

Thorns.--Configuration: concave upper and lower surfaces. Quantity: fewwhich are 5 mm. or less in length, and an average number which aregreater than 5 mm. in length. Color: when present on young sheets havinga length of approximately 20 cm., Greyed-Purple Group 183A and 183B;when present on floral stems, Greyed-Orange Group 176A; and when presenton mature wood, Greyed-Orange Group 165A and 165B.

Petiole.--Color on young shoots: Greyed-Purple Group 183A on upper andunder surfaces. Color on mature wood: Yellow-Green Group 146A on uppersurface, and Yellow-Green Group 146B on under surface.

Leaflets.--Number: commonly 3, 5, and 7. Size: medium to large. Shape:oval as illustrated, and convex with a weak margin undulation.Serration: single and regular. Texture: consistent. Color on youngshoots: bronze with brown and purple on upper surface, and Greyed-PurpleGroup 183C on under surface. Color on floral stems: Green Group 137A onupper surface, and Yellow-Green Group 147B on under surface. Color onmature wood: Yellow-Green Group 147A on upper surface, and Yellow-GreenGroup 147B on under surface. General appearance: a weak glossinesscommonly is present on the upper surface of the leaflets. Terminalleaflets: medium to long in length and width, have a rounded base, andare borne on petioles of long length.

Inflorescence:

Number of flowers.--Generally one per stem when grown in forced cultureunder greenhouse conditions.

Peduncle.--A medium number of hairs or prickles is present, and thecoloration is Yellow-Green Group 145A.

Sepals.--Configuration: relatively long in length, with extensions ofaverage length. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146D to Yellow-Green Group147A on upper surface, and Yellow-Green Group 146C on under surface.

Buds.--Shape: ovate in longitudinal section just before the opening ofthe sepals.

Flower.--Time: average time to begin flowering. Shape: double, whenfully open irregularly round when viewed from above, a generallyflattened convex upper surface when viewed from the side, and agenerally flattened convex under surface when viewed from the side.Diameter: approximately 75 to 95 mm. when fully open. Petal size: atsecond row from outside approximately 40 to 50 mm. in length, andapproximately 53 to 60 mm. in width. Petal shape: the first 2 to 3well-developed outermost petals tend to be of a transverse ellipticconfiguration, the margins possess weak reflexing with weak marginundulation and include a yellowish unguis on both surfaces. Petal color:the middle and marginal zones of the inner side are Vemillion Hollandaisand approximate Red Group 40A, the middle and marginal zones of theouter side are Rouge de Carthame and approximate Red Group 41A, a verysmall spot on the inner side tends to be Yellow Group 13B to 13C, and avery small spot on the outer side tends to be Yellow Group 11C and 11D.Fragrance: slight. Lasting quality: long. Petal number: approximately 32to 40 on average. Petal drop: good. Stamens: commonly numberapproximately 150, and are regularly arranged around pistils. Filaments:length is medium, most possess anthers, and the predominant colorationis orange-yellow. Anthers: medium in size, tend to open at substantiallythe same time, and the immature coloration approximates Yellow-OrangeGroup 21A. Pollen: is yellow in coloration and is provided in normalquantity. Pistils: commonly number approximately 135. Sitgmas: generallyof approximately the same height as the anthers, and the coloration ispale yellow and approximates that of Yellow Group 10C and 10D. Styles:average in length, predominately pink in coloration with an averageconcentration of pubescence on the upper one-half. Receptacle: medium insize, approximately 23 mm. in diameter, and in longitudinal section, itis in the shape of a pitcher. Seeds: medium in size and commonly numberapproximately 16 to 30.

Development:

Vegetation.--Vigorous.

Blooming.--Very abundant and almost continuous.

Resistance to diseases.--Good.

Aptitude to forcing.--Excellent.

Generally one flower per stem is formed when the new variety is grownunder forced culture conditions in a greenhouse. However, even undersuch conditions the first axillary eye below the flower may also developinto a cluster of approximately 3 to 5 flowers at a frequency ofapproximately 20 to 30 percent of the time. When grown outside, the newvariety commonly forms flowers in clusters of approximately 3 to 5flowers at a frequency of approximately 80 percent of the time.

Each of the parent varieties of the Deljacq variety forms blossoms of adifferent coloration than that of the new variety of the presentinvention. For instance, the Tropicana variety forms more orangeblossoms than the Deljacq variety, the Rome Glory variety forms puremedium red blossoms; the Impeccable variety forms pure purple-redblossoms; the Spartan variety forms dark orange blossoms which lack theluminosity and brightness of the Deljacq variety; and the Baccaravariety forms blossoms which are more red and darker.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea rose plantcharacterized by the following combination of characteristics:(a) from aphysical point of view forms bronze green mature wood, assumes anupright to bushy growth habit, and forms attractive double flowers withconsistent petals which are Vermillion Hollandais on the inside andRouge de Carthame on the outside, and (b) from the biological point ofview forms vigorous vegetation, produces flowers in abundance, exhibitsthe ability readily to be forced, is not particularly susceptible todiseases, and forms long lasting flowers comprising petals which detachcleanly;substantially as herein shown and described.